203
by Drace929
Summary: A one-shot based off of last nights event. Protective wife mode is activated, their marriage is stronger than any "loss".
1. 203

**A/N: Hello all! Back for a brief one-shot. Written because I'm super proud of Punk as I'm sure most of you are. Took some guts to do what he did, more guts than I have. Hope he gets another shot at what he clearly loves doing. Enjoy! And disclaimer- I OWN NOTHING. I didn't even create any fake weirdos for this one ;)**

* * *

 **203**

* * *

Punk paused suddenly as a camera was pushed up in his sore and cut up face. He turned around halfway and saw his coach leading his wife right to his side. AJ had warned him she wouldn't be on camera at all, but clearly her mind had changed. She had on a beautiful smile as if she didn't just witness one of the worst moments of his life. She wrapped her arm protectively around his waist and looked up at his ear than his face as they walked right to the locker room with a small entourage. Punk stepped in first before AJ, before the cameraman and before the rest of the team. AJ turned around suddenly and held her hand out.

"Not right now." She told the small group who looked confused.

She offered no apologies as she closed and locked the door behind her keeping everyone and everything away from her husband. When she turned around to find him she saw him leaning over the sink and glaring at himself into the mirror. Most people would think he was trying to assess his injuries, but instead she knew he was beating himself up. Cursing himself in his head. Beating himself up. Hating himself.

AJ walked up behind him but he couldn't even tell until she wrapped her small, yet strong arms around his waist and buried her face into his back. He didn't even flinch as he just took a moment to enjoy the comfort of his wife. He was chewing on his bottom lip as he held back his own tears now. The silence was deafening for her.

"I'm so proud of you." she whispered from behind him and he bowed his head in defeat and shook it. "Don't do that." She warned not removing her arms from him. "Please don't do that." she said placing a kiss between his shoulder blades.

Punk wiggled out of her grasp and walked away, further into the room with his hands over his face rubbing over the cuts and bruises.

"Can you just go?" He asked in almost a whisper.

"No I can't." She said to him simply.

"Ape, please-" He began.

"Stop hiding from me." She demanded practically jumping in front of him. "I've seen you cry before." she reminded him with half a smile.

"Is this in an image you really want to remember?" He asked mockingly as he sat in the nearest folding chair. "Your husband lost a fight and he's resorted to tears."

"That's not why you're crying." She assured him and kneeled down in front of him. "Tonight was an emotional night for you. It wasn't easy to be back in this building or in front of all of those people. You have a lot of emotions running through your mind right now and it's ok to get emotional but it's not ok to beat yourself up."

"I didn't beat myself up." He remarked coldly. "I'm sorry Ape." he said in a much softer voice. "You have no idea how sorry I am."

"For what?" She asked confused.

"Everything you sacrificed to help me do this was for nothing." He pointed out. "Part of the reason you left WWE was so you could be here supporting me, you moved to Milwaukee with me, you put yourself on TV, which I know you hate, you've been cooking and cleaning and taking care of me for the last few months, after my surgeries-"

"None of that was a sacrifice." She almost laughed. "We're a team. We're in everything together."

"It was a waste. I didn't even get a hit in." He recounted shaking his head in his disappointment. "I know I could beat him- I know-"

"I know that too." She assured him. "Tonight wasn't about winning. You won the second you walked out there. You put everything on the line. I wish I was half as brave as you."

"I told you I'd win this for you." He reminded her of his final words to her before his music hit.

"You did." She smiled sadly cupping his cheek and rubbing her thumb under the moistness of his eye. "I'm not lying to you when I tell you that you made me incredibly proud."

"It's done now Ape." He said shaking his head. "I'm going to get cut the guys at the gym-"

"They're your family." AJ cut him off. "And if you get cut from here so what? You were a money grab and they knew that. You can fight anywhere."

"Who is going to want me?" He asked seriously. "I mean it." He huffed standing up and walking away from her. He walked back over to the mirror and ran his hand over the cut above his eye.

"Anyone with half a brain." She answered grabbing a towel and walking over to the sink to run the corner under water. "Anyone who has watched you fight for this which is a lot of people." she added and then reached up to dab the cut about his eyes but he jerked his head away in annoyance. "Let me do this." She demanded. "I need to do this." she added and he softened his facial features.

Punk stood there and let her dab his eye to clean up the blood and then to clean up the rest of the blood around his face. She went back over his eye and sighed.

"You're going to need a few stitches." she whispered and he gently clasped her wrist with his hand and tugged it away from his eye. "I'm not disappointed in you." She said reading his eyes. "And I'm not ashamed. I've never been more proud of you."

"I sucked tonight." He reminded her quietly.

"That's not true." She said shaking her head. "I hate that you're going to beat yourself up over this, you would be saying the same thing even if you won. You need to take a moment and realize you accomplished something that most people only dream about. You're inspiring to so many people but more importantly to me."

"I wanted to do this for you." He told her almost desperately. "I wanted to win for you so bad-"

"You did." She said with ease and a cute smile. "I wish I was more like you. Brave, fearless, selfless."

"You're crazy." He almost had to laugh.

"I almost got you to smile." she teased pointing at his face as he tried to bow his head.

"What do I do now?" He asked her honestly. "Where do we go from here?"

"Hopefully away for a bit." She teased. "I really think we could both use some time away."

"I promised you that and I'm sticking to it." He assured her. "But after?"

"Is there a reason we have to decide right this second?" She asked with a laugh. "This isn't WWE there's no pressure to jump back into anything yet. Take a few weeks and regain some perspective, go to some Cubs games, go to the opened Blackhawks game, knock me up!" she suggested eagerly and he let out a loud laugh.

"I'm going to do all of those things." He promised her.

"Look at that ear." She frowned tilting her head to look at it.

"Yea, this is kind of your worst nightmare." he smirked turning to look back in the mirror and hissed when he tapped his ear.

"It's not my worst nightmare." She defended lightly. "Are you feeling ok?"

"That's the sucky part, I feel great." He said annoyed. "I felt great walking into that cage I knew I was going to win. I just-"

"There is no point to think about what if's right now." She warned him. "Right now I want to get you checked out by the doctors, have them close that nasty cut above your eye, get you cleaned up and out of here."

"I'm going to the press conference." He told her and her face dropped. "I always planned on going."

"I don't want anyone upsetting you." She said shaking her head. AJ was in full 'protective wife mode' currently.

"Nobody is going to upset me more than I upset myself." Punk had to chuckle. "I'll look like even more like a joke if I don't, besides it might be my last opportunity here."

"You don't owe anybody anything." AJ reminded him seriously.

"I do." He said matter-of-factly. "I owe it to my team, my coaches, my family and you."

"You don't owe us anything you've given up a lot as it is." She argued.

"I love that you're trying to protect me but I'll be ok." He smirked. "You can head back to the hotel and I'll meet you there. I'll have the driver come back for me."

"No." She said shaking her head. "I'm going with you."

"Ape, no." He said just as sternly.

"You need me there." She reminded him. "And I'm going to be there with you."

"I don't want you tainted by all of this, that's why you were in the back. All I need is for one smart ass to say something to you then I'll really lose it. I'd probably get my ass handed to me for a second time tonight..." he muttered.

"I'm going." She said to him again. "We're in this together and I want everyone to know how proud I am."

"I wish you'd stop saying that." He sighed.

"I'll say it every minute of everyday and I won't stop until you believe me." She told him and he gave her a faint smile. "Ready to have the doctor look you over?" she asked and he nodded.

"Wait." He said before she unlocked the door. "My ring." He said holding his hand out.

"Oh, right." She smiled unhooking her heart pendant necklace that he purchased for her as a thank you for putting up with all of this. He handed her his ring before he tapped up his hands and she placed it around the expensive chain. "Here." She said putting it in his hand. "It's the best day of my life too." she said with a sweet smile.

Punk leaned down and cupped her face gently and pressed his hips against hers.

"I love you." He murmured against her lips before releasing her. "Thank you for being by my side tonight, if you weren't-"

"You never have to worry about that." She smirked. "I love you too."

"Even with the ear?" He asked with half a smile pointing at it.

"In sickness and in health." She forced out and he laughed again. "I'm just kidding." She smirked. "It's a battle scar, I think it's kind of hot."

"At least I got something out of this night." He remarked halfheartedly.

"You got so much out of this night and I know you can't see it now but I promise you will. You're so awesome and you don't even see it."

"All I can see is you." He told her honestly as they stepped out of the room together.


	2. My Hero

**My Hero**

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After the press conference Punk and AJ slipped out of the arena. They were gone before he could see his friends who flew out to watch him, his family who drove five hours to support them. He couldn't face any of them. He was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and he had to get out. They packed up as quickly as possible, it was as if they were on the run from the law. At close to three in the morning Larry and the car were packed away and Punk drove the five hour distance back home to Chicago.

The minute he pulled the last cooler out of the car he walked up the stairs and collapsed in bed. He needed the sleep. This was the longest (and the best) week of his life up until last night and right now he needed to sleep it all off. The excitement, the hope, the disappointment- it was all too much and he just crashed. Normally he'd be on his phone as he drifted off to sleep but his wife confiscated it from him. She wanted him to sleep this all off so he would be more clear minded, she had gotten her wish.

At almost nine at night Punk woke up. He slept for close to 12 hours and even though he should have felt great the pain on his face reminded him of his shortcomings. He stepped out of the bed and headed into the bathroom to throw some cold water on his face. When he walked back into his bedroom he noticed he was alone in it, AJ didn't come up at all to sleep and he knew she was just as exhausted- if not more than he was.

He crept down the stairs and smelt something amazing from the kitchen so that's where he headed first. The light was on and the counter was literally filled with his favorite fresh baked treats that his wife would make. Cookies, two cakes, brownies- it was all just laying out for him and he couldn't help but lick his chapped lips. As he reached eagerly for a cookie he stopped short and realized AJ wasn't in the kitchen, but Larry was as he was sleeping in his bed in the corner. He frowned and headed into the living room but she wasn't there either.

Now he frowned and checked the garage to make sure her car was still there, which it was. He headed further down into the basement and sighed when he saw her passed out on the couch of their mock gym. She was in workout clothes but also had some baking flour smeared on her cheek. He walked over to her and ran his thumb over the flour and her eyes shot open.

"I'm up!" She announced urgently sitting up.

"You're a little messy." He teased kneeling down to her.

"I know." She sighed. "I was going to do a workout then jump in the bath but I must have passed out." She said looking back at the couch in confusion. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than you did." He remarked. "Go upstairs and sleep in the bed."

"I still have to clean up the kitchen." She told him. "And bathe."

"I'll clean up the kitchen." He told her.

"No you will not." She almost laughed. "You're the one who should be resting."

"I'm rested." He shrugged.

"How do you feel?" She asked him concerned.

"Like shit." He told her honestly.

"Your ear hurts?" She asked concerned.

"No, my ego does." He responded and she frowned. "Physically I'm good."

"I made you a lot of food." She told him getting off the subject and standing up. "I didn't know which you wanted most-"

"So you baked everything I like at once?" he teased.

"I just want to help." She shrugged in a sweet voice.

"You are helping." He assured her. "I'll take Larry out-"

"I did that already." She said looking at the time. "About an hour ago."

"Ape, I already told you I don't want you walking around at night with him alone." Punk groaned and watched as she crossed the room to clean up the laundry she had brought down with her.

"It was eight, it was still light." She said not looking at him.

"We're back in Chicago, it's dangerous." He reminded her.

"Yet I survived." She laughed.

"Why don't you relax?" He suggested. "You clearly only slept for an hour."

"You know I don't need sleep." she said picking up a laundry basket and he took it right out of her arms and placed it down. "What are you doing?"

"You don't have to walk around on eggshells around me." He snorted. "I lost and it sucked and I'm going to feel bad for myself for a while if not forever, I'm a joke online and getting ridiculed by everybody but you don't have to run around and kill yourself to appease me. That won't appease me, it will piss me off."

"I don't want to piss you off." She sighed. "I just want you to be happy."

"Yea I get that but like I said, you running around at all hours of the night-" He began but she cut him off.

"Eight pm." She muttered and he glared at her.

"-and not taking a break is going to get you sick and that will not make me happy." He added. "Besides, it's my turn to take care of you."

"Can we not do that? Can't we just take care of each other?" She pouted and he cupped her face.

"We always do that." He smirked and kissed the tip of her nose.

"You want to take a bath?" She offered. "I'll light candles for you and put those bath salts you secretly love in there for you."

"Only if you join me." He said to her seriously and she nodded anxiously and practically ran down the stairs to get the bath started.

* * *

By the time Punk made downstairs the bath was already filling with water and AJ was lighting candles. He removed his shirt carefully, not to hurt his already damaged ear, and then kicked off his shorts and climbed in while the water was still running.

"You look comfortable, are you sure you want me in there with you?" she asked unsurely.

"Yea I really do." He said resting against the back of the tub and closing his eyes.

AJ removed her clothes and stepped into the tub and shut the water. She carefully leaned back against his chest then felt him urge her back further so she was laying comfortably.

"Did anyone call you?" He asked in a raspy and yet still sleepy voice.

"A couple of people. Cliff called to check in on you, Natalie, Dana, Kofi-" She trailed off.

"Dana?" Punk asked as that name peeked his interest.

"Yea. It wasn't about business he was checking in as your friend." AJ told him casually.

"What did he say?" He asked anxiously.

"Just wanted to see how you were feeling and he'd be in touch in a couple of days." AJ told him. "They're not making any decisions right now, relax."

"I'm going to get fired." He informed her and she just sighed against him. "I mean it Ape. We've been married for two years and I will have been fired from two jobs, Marvel is going to fire me next after the way Drax tanked!"

"Marvel isn't firing you." She giggled. "If UFC releases you there's other other options."

"I'm going to have no job." He told her almost fearfully.

"How ever will we get by?" She asked mockingly.

"It's not funny Ape." He warned her. "We have bills and expenses."

"I think we'll get by." She smirked closing her own eyes as well. "Besides, I do work too you know. I do have a book coming out and if that doesn't make enough money I can always sell my body on the corner to cover expenses for us." She felt a pinch on her arm and she let out a laugh.

"That's not funny." he snapped.

"It is when you're acting ridiculous!" She laughed sitting up and turning her head to look at him. "We're not going to be out on our ass. We have a ton of money, we're very fortunate. When I was a kid if my dad lost his job we'd be sleeping in a car, this isn't like that."

"Yea I guess." He muttered not wanting to admit she was right.

"We're going to be ok." She reminded him seriously this time. "We're going to bounce back, you're going to work and we're not going to be homeless."

"This killed my entire reputation." He pointed out. "Nobody is going to take me seriously ever again."

"That's not true." She shook her head. "Everyone knows how hard you worked the people making of you are the jealous ones, the ones who never made that walk, the ones who never stepped foot inside that cage, the ones who have always trashed you because you were always better than them."

"I just want to stay locked away for a year." He admitted and she giggled. "I'm serious."

"Alright, but that means I stay locked away too and we might get on each others nerves." She warned teasingly.

"I like that." He smirked. "Because we fight like animals..."

"...then make up like animals." she finished with a grin. "But I kind of have a book coming out and would like to be around for the release, I'd like you to be there too."

"You know I will be." He assured her softly.

"But, we can hide out until April." She suggested. "Even though I don't think that would be healthy for you."

"I suppose not." Punk muttered.

"A few of the guys from the gym reached out too." She told him. "We left last night without saying goodbye."

"I bet a lot of guys will be reaching out to comfort you." He remarked bitterly and she laughed again.

"You really are all over the place aren't you?" She asked amused.

"You would have been better off with Ziggler." He told her and she rolled her eyes. "I mean it. The guy wouldn't have humiliated you like I do."

"You didn't humiliate me!" She argued. "And have you seen his hair? He would have humiliated me everyday. There is nobody who has ever loved me, protected me or made me as proud as you have. You're my hero."

"Let's go away." He told her seriously leaning forward a bit so their noses were an inch apart.

"I thought that was the plan?" She asked confused.

"It was but now I'm thinking we take off and fly out somewhere. I don't want to go on a long road trip and see friends who are going to look at me with sympathy or tell me 'you did your best'. I want to be away with you and Larry. Somewhere warm, private and relaxing and preferably on cell service." He told her.

"I'm in." She said simply. "You know I'd go anywhere with you." She said with a smile and he nipped her lips.

"We'll go for like a month." He suggested.

"And miss playoff baseball?" She asked with a grin. "I'm in!"

"We'll go for a week." He corrected enthusiastically. "I'll make plans tomorrow."

"Alright. Just tell me what I need to pack." She said to him.

"Nothing." He said seriously. "Just go as you are."

"I'm naked now." She laughed. "I think I'd get arrested at the airport for walking around like this."

"Obviously you can wear clothes on the flight." He snorted as if she was the crazy one. "But don't even bother with a suitcase.

"That's not going to happen but I promise you we'll have a good time. I haven't even gotten a chance to enjoy your new body." She remarked eyeing his flat stomach under the water. "Once you're feeling better-"

"I feel fantastic." He told her anxiously.

"Phil, your face and ear-" She started.

"Just don't grab at my ear." He shrugged.

"I love to grab at your ears." She pouted and he narrowed his eyes at her. "But I suppose I could be careful..."

* * *

After the bath Punk was upstairs first and already cleaning up the kitchen she made a mess in.

"I thought I told you to leave that." AJ scolded putting Larry's leash on him.

"And I thought I told you I didn't want you walking Larry at night here by yourself." He added.

"Phil, leaving the house right now-" She began.

"I can handle it." He said closing the dishwasher and grabbing his sneakers.

"I'll just walk him up and down the block." She promised.

"He drags you." Punk reminded her. "He walks you, not the other way around."

"You're in a bad place right now. I don't want someone saying something stupid and everyone around here knows you." She pointed out.

"I can take the heat. I can't take you getting hassled." He said standing up and held his hand out for the leash.

"I'll walk him." She informed him refusing to let go of the leash. "You can hold my hand." she informed him placing her hand in his.

Punk and AJ let Larry lead the way on their stroll that should have taken no longer than five minutes but now they were almost on thirty. They passed the same places three times already and every time AJ passed Taco Bell her eyes lit up.

"Did you eat today?" Punk asked her as she practically drooled outside the first 'alcohol served' Taco Bell on their block.

"Huh?" She asked peering inside the establishment.

"What did you eat today?" He asked her.

"What did you eat today?" She shot back and he shook his head.

"You can't just not eat." He groaned and passed AJ Larry's leash.

"Don't go in there." she said grabbing his arm.

"I'm hungry too and this is the only place open." He reminded her.

"Phil-" She started.

"Nothing is going to happen to me in there." He smirked. "I'm going to feed you because you're starving. I know you're trying to protect me but you can't keep me away from Tacos." he said seriously and she laughed. "Don't wander off."

"Talk about being protective, jerk." She muttered under her breath as he walked inside and he poked his head outside quickly.

"I heard that." He warned her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

* * *

AJ waited anxiously outside and saw Punk talking to a man who walked over to him. AJ's stomach dropped in fear that this man was giving him a hard time and her husband would do something stupid to prove himself. Finally she saw Punk shake the man's hand and walked outside with two big bags of food.

"What was that all about?" She asked curiously.

"Just somebody who wanted to say that they thought I kicked ass even though I got my ass kicked." He said and as they began the walk home.

"It's true." AJ pointed out. "I wish you would start to believe that yourself."

"Babe, I talked so much shit." He had to laugh at it. "And I got my ass handed to me. I couldn't hit a guy who talked crap about you. What kind of a man am I?"

"He was trained longer." AJ argued. "And it was split second that cost you that fight." She pointed out. "I don't watch a lot of UFC but I've seen plenty of great fighters lose quicker, champions even. You're going to get to redeem yourself. Whether it's in UFC remains to be seen but you will."

"You'd be ok with that?" he asked arching a brow at her curiously.

"The one thing you had made clear all last week was how happy this made you and I can saw how happy you've been. I'll support you having another fight." she promised him. "I'll support you doing anything. But let's play it by ear and see what happens. Give it a couple of more days before you decide anything."

"Yea." he agreed. "I think a few days on a beach should help that."

"Where to?" She asked anxiously.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked her.

"Me?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yea, I mean this week was pretty cool for me minus last night." He muttered. "I'm sure you've had better weeks."

"Oh yea, it was awful watching you run around so happy." She mocked as Larry pulled them closer to the house. "How ever will rebound from such a terrible time?"

"I mean it Ape, I want you to pick." He said to her. "We've been moving to different states and going to UFC events and all of that was for me. I want you to pick something and do it. I hated missing out on going to Florida with you a few months ago, I want to vacation together not apart."

"Can I take a day to decide?" she asked and he nodded as they approached the house.

"You know I love you right?" Punk asked before he unlocked the front door.

"You may have mentioned it once or twice." She teased.

"I mean it." He said to her. "You're the reason I got out of bed today. I'd be a mess if you weren't here to make me smile."

"I love you too." She said unable to hide her smile. "I already told you that you're my hero." she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed his lips until Larry barked and scratched at the door.

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 **A/N: Ok that's really it for this story :) I couldn't resist one more chapter. Thanks for the reviews!**


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